Scientology

DOWNTOWN GLENDALE — A stretch of Brand Boulevard was closed for more than two hours Wednesday afternoon as a hazardous materials team investigated a suspicious white powder found in an envelope at the Church of Scientology. The powder, which turned out to be a mixture of corn starch and dry cereal, was discovered at about 1 p.m. when an employee was opening the mail, Glendale Fire Capt. Tom Propst said. The employee immediately called police, who evacuated the building and sealed off the sidewalk and diverted traffic on Brand between Wilson and California avenues to make way for the hazard materials team.

Congratulations on Marshall Allen's objective and uplifting coverage of one Scientology minister's place in the huge scheme of recovery efforts at the World Trade Center atrocity ("Working toward recovery in NYC," Sept. 21). Some 800 Scientology ministers helped out. I've used Scientology's "nerve assists," and a couple of other assists, to alleviate pain, emotional shock and other discomforts in friends and family. Learning each one takes less than 20 minutes.

It is a fact that I appreciate your effort to correctly describe the E meter. However, I'd like to take this opportunity to elaborate on this most interesting of religious artifacts, which is used internationally, by ministers of the Church of Scientology, such as myself. The E meter enables Scientology ministers, trained in its use, to quickly and accurately guide someone in need of spiritual relief to discover the true nature of their upset and thus cause any spiritual trauma to dissolve.

An entourage of 13 joggers ran down Brand Boulevard with Glendale Police escorts Thursday to promote human rights during the Glendale leg of the L.A. Multathon. The event, Uniting Greater Los Angeles for Human Rights, was a celebration of the 54th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations, Church of Scientology spokeswoman Angie De Rouchie said. Sponsors of the event are the Human Rights Department of the Church of Scientology International and the International Foundation for Human Rights and Tolerance, in cooperation with United Nations Assn.

About 20 years ago a delegation from the church of Scientology came to my school and asked that I be fired from my position as a teacher (some might take note here of a recurring theme in my professional life). They had objected to a conversation I had with my students about a constitutional issue, and secondarily, about truth in advertising. Time magazine had just done a feature article about the organization, and it managed to make its way into a classroom discussion of the 1st Amendment.

Thanks so much for letting all of us back in Glendale share in the glory of having some of our own Glendalians right there on the spot, where help is so sorely needed, and when it is needed. Scientology volunteer ministers have a long track record of helping amid disasters -- the L.A. quake a few years ago, the wars in Kosovo and Bosnia, the riots in Los Angeles, earthquakes in Taiwan, after the bombing of the Atlanta Olympic Games, at the Federal Building in Oklahoma, after the shootings at Columbine High School, and many others.

Health-insurance reform is too important to be drowned out by shouts of cliche slogans and the spreading of “death panel” type lies (“Airing our emotions before facts,” Aug. 14). While it is convenient and very profitable for some to pretend we don’t have a problem in this country, we can’t afford to wait for reform. Those of us who have insurance coverage today may see it disappear if we don’t fix this broken system. Each year we experience higher co-pays, deductibles and premiums that continue to soar out of control.

It’s been a turbulent year in California — and the rest of the U.S. — with an economic fallout, the intense battle over Proposition 8 and, of course, the presidential race that led to a history-making finish. Amid all the highs and lows of the last few months, what are you most thankful for as you head into Thanksgiving weekend? As I pondered this question, I thought we Americans have so much for which to be thankful, including the right to worship — or not!

I am about to graduate from UC Berkeley this year. While home for the summer, I was appalled to read Dan Kimber’s most recent article, “Church should be more upfront,” July 31. I felt compelled to relay my experiences with this teacher. I am the youngest child of a longtime Glendale family. I was the fourth of my five siblings who attended Hoover High School to have Kimber as a teacher. Thus, before even meeting him, I was already hopeful that we would get along, as I was the sort of precocious student that often had better relationships with my teachers than my peers.

Health-insurance reform is too important to be drowned out by shouts of cliche slogans and the spreading of “death panel” type lies (“Airing our emotions before facts,” Aug. 14). While it is convenient and very profitable for some to pretend we don’t have a problem in this country, we can’t afford to wait for reform. Those of us who have insurance coverage today may see it disappear if we don’t fix this broken system. Each year we experience higher co-pays, deductibles and premiums that continue to soar out of control.

I am about to graduate from UC Berkeley this year. While home for the summer, I was appalled to read Dan Kimber’s most recent article, “Church should be more upfront,” July 31. I felt compelled to relay my experiences with this teacher. I am the youngest child of a longtime Glendale family. I was the fourth of my five siblings who attended Hoover High School to have Kimber as a teacher. Thus, before even meeting him, I was already hopeful that we would get along, as I was the sort of precocious student that often had better relationships with my teachers than my peers.

About 20 years ago a delegation from the church of Scientology came to my school and asked that I be fired from my position as a teacher (some might take note here of a recurring theme in my professional life). They had objected to a conversation I had with my students about a constitutional issue, and secondarily, about truth in advertising. Time magazine had just done a feature article about the organization, and it managed to make its way into a classroom discussion of the 1st Amendment.

It’s been a turbulent year in California — and the rest of the U.S. — with an economic fallout, the intense battle over Proposition 8 and, of course, the presidential race that led to a history-making finish. Amid all the highs and lows of the last few months, what are you most thankful for as you head into Thanksgiving weekend? As I pondered this question, I thought we Americans have so much for which to be thankful, including the right to worship — or not!

DOWNTOWN GLENDALE — A stretch of Brand Boulevard was closed for more than two hours Wednesday afternoon as a hazardous materials team investigated a suspicious white powder found in an envelope at the Church of Scientology. The powder, which turned out to be a mixture of corn starch and dry cereal, was discovered at about 1 p.m. when an employee was opening the mail, Glendale Fire Capt. Tom Propst said. The employee immediately called police, who evacuated the building and sealed off the sidewalk and diverted traffic on Brand between Wilson and California avenues to make way for the hazard materials team.

An entourage of 13 joggers ran down Brand Boulevard with Glendale Police escorts Thursday to promote human rights during the Glendale leg of the L.A. Multathon. The event, Uniting Greater Los Angeles for Human Rights, was a celebration of the 54th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations, Church of Scientology spokeswoman Angie De Rouchie said. Sponsors of the event are the Human Rights Department of the Church of Scientology International and the International Foundation for Human Rights and Tolerance, in cooperation with United Nations Assn.

It is a fact that I appreciate your effort to correctly describe the E meter. However, I'd like to take this opportunity to elaborate on this most interesting of religious artifacts, which is used internationally, by ministers of the Church of Scientology, such as myself. The E meter enables Scientology ministers, trained in its use, to quickly and accurately guide someone in need of spiritual relief to discover the true nature of their upset and thus cause any spiritual trauma to dissolve.

Congratulations on Marshall Allen's objective and uplifting coverage of one Scientology minister's place in the huge scheme of recovery efforts at the World Trade Center atrocity ("Working toward recovery in NYC," Sept. 21). Some 800 Scientology ministers helped out. I've used Scientology's "nerve assists," and a couple of other assists, to alleviate pain, emotional shock and other discomforts in friends and family. Learning each one takes less than 20 minutes.

Thanks so much for letting all of us back in Glendale share in the glory of having some of our own Glendalians right there on the spot, where help is so sorely needed, and when it is needed. Scientology volunteer ministers have a long track record of helping amid disasters -- the L.A. quake a few years ago, the wars in Kosovo and Bosnia, the riots in Los Angeles, earthquakes in Taiwan, after the bombing of the Atlanta Olympic Games, at the Federal Building in Oklahoma, after the shootings at Columbine High School, and many others.